Chuck Stinnett: Rookie's planning restaurant move, new banquet spaces

Henderson's downtown revolution continues as Rookie's Sports Bar and Restaurant prepares for a remodeling and new business plan — including going completely smoke-free and adding a banquet facilities — later this year.

"It's finally the time," he said. "Evansville businesses went nonsmoking (last year), and with all the competition in town" — including downtown competitors Delizio Gourmet Italian Eatery and cocktail lounge, Commonwealth Kitchen & Bar and Rockhouse at Wolf's — "going nonsmoking, we can justify it."

Rookie's also plans to relocate its restaurant from the left-hand side of the property to the right-hand side, where the dance floor, a secondary bar and pool tables are located.

"I want to make it more of a sports restaurant, with high-definition TVs so it will be another good place to watch ballgames," Thomas said.

"We think we can put a neat restaurant on that far side," he said.

The menu will be largely the same. "We'll keep the steaks" and the most popular other menu items, he said, "and add more appetizers."

Once the relocated restaurant opens, Thomas intends to remodel the current restaurant space into a banquet room seating up to 180 or 200 people.

"It will be conducive to weddings, class reunions — anything," he said. "If we want to bring in a big band, we can do it."

Additionally, he intends to remodel the current dance floor into a space that can be closed off and used as a smaller banquet room, seating 50 or 60.

"Once we go smoke-free, I'd like to start easing into" the remodeling, Thomas said. "I'd like to have it finished by the first of the year or maybe in January."

The entire facility, including the soon-to-be nonsmoking bar in the middle, will be re-carpeted and repainted, and TVs in the bar will be upgraded.

"We'll try to get away with not closing more than a couple of days," Thomas said.

With so many changes and an increase in food service, "There are a lot of logistics I have to work out."

Thomas, who along with his wife, Liz, followed his parents, Fred and Ginny, into the restaurant and bar business years ago, believes in the need for refreshing an establishment periodically; after his parents moved Fred & Ginny's Office Lounge to the former Doc Holliday's Saloon at 117 Second St. in 1982, the business evolved into O'Darby's Irish Pub, then into Rookie's in 1992, including the addition of the existing steak and seafood restaurant.

"I think it's time" to revamp Rookie's, Rodney said. "We've needed to re-phase for a few years now, and there's such a market for the banquet room."

Aye aye, I-69

Brad Schneider is willing to take progress where he can find it.

The president of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce and interim president and CEO of Northwest Kentucky Forward is the community's leading cheerleader for development of Interstate 69.

"You know it's a long process," especially with the daunting task of securing financing for a bridge across the Ohio River, he told a chamber Good Morning Henderson breakfast crowd Thursday. "We think it's important to keep going, keep talking, keep pushing."

So Schneider was gratified by a news release from U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell concerning a meeting with secretary of transportation nominee Anthony Foxx in his capitol office last Wednesday.

The news release said the meeting "provided Sen. McConnell the opportunity to highlight the importance of several Kentucky transportation projects, including the Brent Spence Bridge in northern Kentucky, Ohio River bridges in Louisville and the I-69 bridge in Henderson."

"That is a victory," Schneider declared. "That goes out all over Kentucky, all over Washington, and reminds people in the Golden Triangle that there is a third bridge project in Kentucky."